Worldcoin | World ID 2.0 adds login verification feature and enhances privacy security

According to the announcement from Worldcoin here, the decentralized identity project World ID has launched its 2.0 update, providing support for third-party verification plugins for applications such as Telegram, Discord, Minecraft, etc. It also introduces verification levels and does not require everyone to scan their irises. This update aims to enhance the existing user experience and brings the first practical application scenario for World ID — login verification.

What is World ID?

World ID is part of the Worldcoin project, which aims to provide a unified decentralized identity system worldwide to assist those without digital accounts to use online products and reduce friction in existing verification systems. Worldcoin consists of three key products:

• World ID: a decentralized identity DID project that used to provide users with a unique identity through iris scanning, is the core product of the project, with approximately 2.6 million people currently completing iris registration.
• World APP: a decentralized encrypted wallet APP that provides users with key pairs to link to the user's World ID registration and serves as the client for the future identity system.
• World Coin WLD: incentivizes users to register for World ID through economic incentives, with a total of 10 billion tokens planned to be distributed to 1 billion people, with the team and investors owning around 25% of the share.

Essentially, it involves common industry elements such as DID, wallets, and tokens. However, due to the project being led by Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, it has attracted more attention and resources. This decentralized identity product emphasizes ecosystem and cross-industry collaboration, giving it a unique advantage.

However, controversies have arisen in the community due to concerns about iris scanning security, the illicit trading of accounts, contradictions in token distribution mechanisms and philosophies, leading to various discussions.

The recent World ID 2.0 update aims to address some of these issues and introduce login authentication services. The main updates include:

• Provision of diversified application verification services
• Division of verification levels
• Enhancements in security and usability

Provision of Diversified Application Verification Services

World ID can already be used for login authentication in some products.

The value of decentralized identity lies in its use cases. The more products or services it can be used with, the more valuable the decentralized identity becomes, attracting more users to apply for it. Therefore, commercial development and ecosystem expansion are crucial goals for World ID.

The World ID team has released verification plugins for some popular applications, including Discord, Reddit, Minecraft, Telegram, Shopify, and other third-party application plugins for platform administrators to choose from.

For example, Telegram group managers can choose to add chatbots that support World ID verification to their groups, requiring members to log in using World ID to chat. Similarly, Minecraft server administrators can use plugins that support World ID verification as an alternative whitelist design.

Users need to use the World APP to complete the aforementioned verification, which may involve scanning a QR code or directly signing, utilizing zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) to protect user data from leaking during login.

You can check for fully supported applications on the official website here.

Division of Verification Levels

World ID 2.0 offers multiple identity levels to meet different usage scenarios.

Only a few have completed Orb machine scanning to register for World ID. If the above verification services maintain the current iris scanning registration standard, it would be very inconvenient for most users who have not registered at this stage, whether due to privacy concerns or the limited availability of Orb scanning locations.

Therefore, World ID 2.0 divides verification into more diverse levels to reduce verification requirements and cater to a wider range of usage scenarios. For example, the verification requirements for gaming do not need to be as stringent as those for financial services, allowing different products to customize verification based on their needs.

World ID 2.0 is divided into three identity levels:

• World ID Device: Allows users to verify using mobile devices to obtain this level of identity.
• World ID Orb: Similar to World ID 1.0, this level requires trusted Orb iris scanning machines to verify uniqueness and biometric activity to obtain the World ID Orb identity.
• World ID Orb+: The strictest identity level, requiring not only iris scanning but also facial recognition verification, which occurs locally on the user's mobile device.

Enhancements in Security and Usability

World ID 2.0 has made several enhancements in account security and usability, including:

• Change/Delete World ID: If a user's World ID is stolen, they can re-register; users can also delete iris information at any time to reduce the level of identity verification and maintain privacy.
• Personal Custody: By using user devices, the new self-custody feature includes World ID Orb+ level facial recognition information, canceling the official custody data scheme to increase user data security and privacy.
• Support for OIDC, OAuth 2.0 Protocols: World ID will be able to support third-party account login mechanisms similar to "FB, Google," etc.
• Wallet Bridge: An open-source protocol that optimizes the process and efficiency of wallet signature login to external services.

The Success of World ID Relies on Ecosystem Size Rather Than Technology

In this update, we finally see DID being used for more than just issuing tokens. Essentially, World ID 2.0 enlarges the service of user login authentication using DID as its first real use case.

We also see the team's emphasis on privacy, making several adjustments to reduce public concerns about privacy and security.

However, the most critical aspect in the field of decentralized identity is the "utility value" of the identity, which requires a sufficient number of applications to respond and support it to have an impact. For example, the more Discord administrators choose to use this verification method or the more applications make World ID a default third-party login option, the more useful this identity becomes.

World ID still has a long way to go before it receives actual integration and support from various products and manufacturers.